Control for music-box movements



1927. Feb 22 c. c. RITZ CONTROL FOR MUSIC BOX MOVEMENTS Filgd Nov 2,. 1925 INEYENTOR- I BY' Patented Feb; 1927.

.oHARLEs o. RITZ,1OF;FOREST HIL S, new

YORK. J

CONTROL OR MUSIC BOXI rrovnivrm rsj Apiplieatien fired uoire'mter Another object of my inventionis to de vise a control which will release amusic box movement so as'to permit the playing of a tune or a portion of a tune, for a predetermined period.

Another obJect ofimy: invention is to de- L .vise' a control of thistype which can be actuated by coins of various sizes and weights.

j Another object of my'invention .is to devise a control which shall be extremely simple, cheap and compact, and which will require a minimum number of moving parts;

Other objects of my invention will be set forth; in the following description and drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodi- 'ment thereof. it being understood that the bove general statement of the objects of my invention is intended togenerally illustrate the same and not to limit it in any manner.

-Fig.,1 is a vertical sectional view onthe line'-1'l of Fig. 3showing my device applied, for example to a toy bank, although I do notlimit the field of useof my invention in any manner. I a

Fig'j'2 is a section on the lme,2-2 of Fig; 3 is asection on the line 3-3 of Fig.2. 3 2 I 1 j f he toy bank B orthe like is' pro'vided with a lower portion separated from the upperpart thereof, in which the music box movement is mounted, by a partition. BA havinga mouth 23 throughwhich the coins can enter the lower part ofthe device. The lower part of the device forms the coin receptacle having adoor D which can be closed or locked in any suitablemanner. The spring motor M is of the ordinary type and it can be Wound by .means of an ordinary key WV which projects rear wall of. the apparatus.

The spring 7 motor M is provided with an ordinary crown gear M which meshes with a spur gear M5, the last mentioned gear being connected to the shaft of the drum 10 carrying the teeth 11. a

This shaft also'has a large gear 13 connected thereto, and the last mentioned gear meshes with a smaller gear 14 mounted upon through the WVhen the drum has made substantially a a, 192 5. semin rians. V 1

a short shaft upon 'whichthe gear 15v is also mounted! I The gear 15 mes'h-es with a smaller gear 16 mounted upon a second shaft upon which the spur gear 17 is also mounted. The last mentioned gear 17 meshes with a screw 18, which is more clearly shown in Fig. 3, and the fan brake or governor "19' is connected to the screw 18.

This part of the music box movement can be of any well known type, as the p'urpose' thereof "is to revolve the fan 19 at a very hi h velocityso that thefresistance of the air to the revolution ofthe said ang e acts as a govenorto control the speed ofjrevolution of the drum .10. Thereeds 12 are of the well known type. t f

A control member 22'. is mount'edfupon the shaft of the drum 10. As shown -infFigi 1. this control member 22 has the e'ndsfthere of obliquely inclined to the top and bottom thereof.

The ends of the control'member 22 are adapted to engagethe springy end piece21 which is connected to the inner end of the detent 20. This detent 20 consists ,of a single'piece of bent wire which'ispivotally mounted in the sleeve S,.which' is; connected to the base of the combs bymeansof a screw30.- N v The" detent 20 is also provided "with'an inclined flange 21 which is mounted upon thelforwardly projecting part of the said detent'wire '20. w

As. shown in: Fig. 1, the detent can'be moved. towards and'aw base of the apparatus. When the member 22 engages the springy-end member 21- of the detent, the revolution-of thedrum causes the detentjwire 20 to be turned so that the bent end-thereof engages the fan 19 and prevents the turning ofthe'drum 10. -If,- how= ay from the vertical ever, the member 21 is forcedtowards the of the detent yields sufficiently so that it passes beyond the member 22, thus releasing the drum 10 so that it is free to revolve.

complete revolution, the member 22- againengages the springy member 21 .soas to move the detent wire 20' into the operative position. v a c a It is therefore obvious that the -introduction of each coin into the bank'B causes the tune tobeplayed for a 'short 'and predetermined period, so that the spring motor will member :being sufficiently yieldable so that'it box movement, that it is only necessary to provide a single bent wire having the mem-' ber 21 -\Vl1lCl1 can be made of any light metal, and the spring member 21 Whichcan' be made of any cheap springy metal, the only other change which is necessary being the athxing of the member 22 upon the shaft of the drum. v

It is therefore obvious that the device is of maximum simplicity cheapness and compactness.

It is to be understood that this device can be applied to a toy bank or the like in a great many different ways, and. that I do not restrict the use of the movement in any particular position or in any particular .location, as the above mentioned drawmgs and description are intended to be illustrative. V

V I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions could be made without departing, from its spirit.

For example, the flange 21 could be mounted adjacent the bottom of a coin chute because the control is so sensitive that the impact of a falling coin is sufii'cient to operate it. a

w I claim 1. In combination with a music boX movement or the like having a drum the revolution of'which is adapted to cause the playing of a tune, a revoluble member adapted to revolve in unison with said'drum, a detent member adapted to engage the said revoluble member, a spr-ingy member connected to said detent member, and a. control member adapted to revolve in unison with the said drum and adapted to engagethe said springy member 110' actuate said detent member to move said detent member into engagementv withsaid revoluble member, the said spr'ingy can be forced out of engagement with the said control member.

i 2. Adevice according to claim 1 in'which the said control member has end faces which make-oblique angles with the other faces thereof.

3. A device according to claim 1 in which the musiobox movement is mounted in a casing having an opening adapted to admit coins, and the said detent member has a flange connected thereto and located adjacent the inner end of the said opening for direct engagement by an inserted coin While said coin is being-forced through said opening.

4. A device according to claim l'in which the music box movement is mounted in a 5. In combination with a. music boxmovement comprising a plurality of reeds adapted to co-operate with teeth mounted upon arevoluble drum, a motor adapted to actuate the said drum, a fan connected to the said motor by intermediate gearing, a revoluble control member mounted upon the shaft of the said drum and adaptedto revolveiin unison'therewith, and a'detent member pivotally mounted *upon the base of the said reeds, the said detent member having one end thereof adapted ,to engage the said fan, the other end of the said detent memher having a resilient member connected thereto, the said control member being adapted to engage the springy member, the said resilient member being su'flici'ently yieldable that it can'be forced out of engagement Withthe saidcontrol member, and

a coin slot adjacentone end of said resilieiit member so that an entering coin is adapted to positively actuate said resilient member. I 4

6. In combination, .:a casing havingan opening adapted to admit 001 1 ,a' music box movement mountedfin'sa'id casing and 7' having a plurality of reeds adapted to -eooperate with a revoluble drum having teeth adapted to engage the said reeds, a motor in said casing adapted to {actuate the said drum, a fan in the said casing and, mounted on a shaft connected to the saidfmotoji intermediate gearing, a"revoluble control member mounted on the shaft of the said drum and a detentmember comprising a single bent wire, pivotally mounted upon the base of the said reeds, the said wire having one end thereof adapted to engage the said fanand h avingthe other end thereof provided with springy member, the intermediate portion of the said wireflbeing bent away from the reeds, drum and motor, a flange connected to the said intermediate bent portion of the detent member 'and substantially aligned with theaxis of the said opening, the said flange being moved with respect to said opening when. a coin is in mitted into said casing through said open ng,

the said springy member being su'fficiently yieldable so that it can be forced out of engagement with the said control member -by the action of a coin'which. is admitted into the casing through the said opening.

In testimony whereof I afliXmy signature.

CHARLES C. RITZ. 

